Disposable Hymnody

A number of years ago someone (it may have been Erik Routley) coined the term "disposable hymnody" to describe hymns written for a specific, limited purpose. Once the hymn fulfilled its purpose, it was disposed of. (It wasn't actually disposed of — in the sense of destroyed or done away with. It simply was never used again. )

There is much in twenty-first century Western culture that is disposable: cameras, food containers, eating utensils, contact lenses, clothing, baby diapers, and much more. We have come to accept these kinds of things as having only a temporary or one-time use. Indeed, part of their value is that we can use them and then get rid of them. We buy them for their utility and their disposability.

I want to think more about disposable hymnody, and its cousin, disposable liturgy. We make use of both in the church today, usually without any thought to their disposability nor to the possibility of their reuse. What are the qualities that make a hymn or liturgy disposable? Here are some:

Language: We use worship texts sometimes that are drawn directly from the language style of contemporary culture. We use words, phrases, images, and references that may have relevant meaning for only a short time; and as time passes, the references lose their meaning, and the language becomes out of date. Are You Running with Me, Jesus by Malcolm Boyd, a runaway bestseller collection of prayers and liturgy originally published during the angst, protest, and rebellion of the mid-1960s, now seems almost quaint. It is studied as a relic of another time and period. The same can be said for the hundreds of sacred protest songs, hymns, and choruses that were a product of that period. They served their time and purpose and have been discarded. Their language and culture were too limiting; and when both evolved, the songs were disposed of through non-use. (The exceptions — for example, "We Shall Overcome" — and why they never became disposable are worthy of their own full article.)

Musical Style: Musical style is always changing. It is never static. We like to group the evolution of classical music into style periods — Renaissance, baroque, classic, romantic, twentieth century, and many sub-styles. The truth is, however, that it's all one long style period that is continually changing. Church music and congregational song style are the same. We write and sing songs that are both in the tradition handed to us by the past as well as the current popular styles. There are musicians and composers now writing worship songs in rap, hip-hop, and a variety of rock styles, as well as ancient chant and contemporary contemplative and New Age styles. It will be the next generation's job to decide if these will be disposable (as we have judged Malcolm Boyd's work) or whether they will have a lasting contribution to make to congregational song. But for now, there are many examples of current worship songs being used for a short time, set aside, and not sung again as we move on to the next newest and latest hit worship song.

Points of Reference: Some worship songs (and liturgy) owe their birth and use to a specific event or cause: a president's assassination, a war or protest of war, an act of violence (Columbine slayings), a natural disaster (Hurricane Katrina, Indonesian earthquake, a tsunami), a space shuttle explosion, a terrorist attack and building collapse, military invasion, and so many more. These events may inspire hymns, songs, and liturgy of uncommonly high quality, music and liturgy that may be of great comfort and hope in difficult circumstances; but as time passes and the circumstances fade from memory and daily experience, the music and liturgy no longer serve their original purpose. They remain largely unused in their collections and on their websites — they have become disposable.

I am actually a great advocate of disposable hymnody and have written such hymns myself. As with disposable cameras, dishes, and diapers, the characteristics that make songs and liturgy disposable also make them of great value to us for a time. They connect us to the culture and all that is happening around us at any given time. They appeal to a particular segment or constituency of society or church. They give us words to say, sing, and pray in difficult circumstances when words are hard to come by because of raw emotions or conflict. They may speak to us with an immediacy and honesty that may not be found in older music and liturgy. They allow us to proclaim a faith, not only of the saints and our past, but also of our present and future.

I do not mourn much when a hymn or liturgy becomes disposable. It is an indication that the Spirit is among us and we are responding. Lloyd Ogilvie, former beloved pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church and Chaplain of the United States Senate, once said that the proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a church is not peace and tranquility. He said that if the Spirit is present in a people, there will be unsettledness and change. In the words of the spiritual, "God's gonna trouble de waters." Disposable hymnody can work well in those conditions.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.